Fastening device



1,638,763 G. H. ENNIS FASTENING DEVICE I Aug. 9, 7-

' Filed March 24. 1926 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

GEORGE E. ENNIS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' FASTENING DEVICE.

Application filed March 24, 1926. Serial No. 97,118.

This invention relates to an improvement in fastening of the general type forming the subject-matter of my prior Patent No.

' 1,557,996, granted Oct. 20, 1925, and the present invention is especially adapted for use in connection with loose leaf binders although also adapted for use as a fastener for papers or the like. I

The object of the present invention resides in the provision ofa device of this character wherein the parts of the fastener are positively interlocked and held against displacement accidentally or by virtue of theelasticity or depressing force which the leaves or papers, exert thereon.

In carrying out the present invention there is provided a base or suitable attaching element which may be secured to a part of the .looseleaf book and which has a penetrating prong connected thereto and adapted to be extended through thepapers and to co-act with a tubular holding bar. The tubular holding bar and the penetrating prong have interengaging or interlocking parts which positively secure the same together against accidental displacement although permitting the parts of-the fastener to be disconnecte at will.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain; novel '--:features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claimsyreference being. had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

' Figure 1 is, a fragmentary perspectlve View showing a looseleaf book or blnder 'and illustrating the present invention in .40 dotted lines,

Figure2 is a view showing the present 1n vention in elevation and the loose leaf book in section,

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a group view in perspective showing the parts of the fastener employed in Figures 1, 2 and 3,

Figure'5 is a similar view showing another form of fastener and penetratlngprong Figure 6 is a view in transverse section showing the construction of the tubular 'holdingbar illustrated in Figure 5,

' Figure 7 is a group view in perspectlve 5!! illustrating another form of penetrating prong and tubular holding bar,

. I Figure 8 is a similar view illustrating still another form of penetrating prong and tubular holding bar,

Figure 9 is a group view in perspective showing a modified form of penetrating prong and tubular holding bar,

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view'in perspective showing a'slight variation of-the form of penetrating prong illustrated .in Figure 9,

Figure 11 is a sectional View showing how the penetrating prong of Figure 10 co-acts pith the tubular holding bar provided there- Or, I

Figure 12 is a detail erspeetive view showing another modification of the invention, and

Figure 13 is a perspective view showing still another modificationf Referring to the drawings and more especially to Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the numeral l designates generally a loo'seleaf book with which the fastening device constituting the present invention may be associated in any desirable manner. In one modification illustrated for the sake of illustration the looseleaf book has flaps 2 and 3 between which. the leaves 4 are positioned.

The fastening device constituting the present invention includes a base or attaching portion 5 having integral therewith or suitably connected thereto a penetrating prong 6. The base or attaching portion 5 engages or is secured to the flap'2 and the penetrating prong extends through an opening provided therefor in the flap 2 and through openings in the leaves 4:. Along its edges the prong 6 is provided with notches 7 which define shoulders 8. A tubular holding bar 9 is provided and takes the form of an elongated tube constructed of a single piece of metal and having a slot 10 in its underface and extending from oneend thereof to approximately the center portion of the bar. The ends of the tubular bar are open. A locking lug 11 is bent up from the underwall of the tubular holding bar and obstructs the opening of the tube. This lug 11 has an inclined slot 12 therein through which the penetrating prong 6 is passed when either the prong or the bar are so -inclined as to bring the slot 12 and the prong 6 into paral-- lelism or alignment. I

' In using this form of the invention the penetrating prong is passed through the leaves and through the flaps 2 and 3 and then is extended through the slot 12 to the desired extent while the slot 12 and the penetrating prong 6 are in the same plane or in alignment or parallelism. In other words, the extending end portion of the prong 6 is bent substantially parallel with the leaves before the holding bar is engaged therewith. When the penetrating prong has been inserted to the desired extent in the bar, the bar 9 is twisted so as to cause the shoulders 8 to engage the portions of the lug 11 which define the margins of the slot 12 and this positively interlocks the penetrating prong and tubular holding bar. The resihency of the leaves will permit the required twisting or turning of the holding bar to permit engagement of 1 the holding bar with the bent over portion of the prong and then will exert pressure on the holding bar, tending to prevent the holding bar from accidentally. disengaging the prong.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 5 and partially in Figure 6the penetrating prong is designated generally at 15 and is the same as the prong 6 except that the notches 7 and .shoulders 8 are omitted. A tubular holding bar 16 is provided and is constructed in all respects like the bar 9 except that its lug, designated at 17, does not have a slot therein and does not completely obstruct the opening or tubular holding bar, the lug leaving a space 18 through which the prong15 may be passed when frictionally engaged by the lug 17. The lug 17 is made slightlyresilient so that it can flex to some extent to permit insertion and removal of the penetrating prong although having binding or holding engagement in the desired adjustment.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 7 a penetrating prong, designated generally at 20, is provided, and is similar to the prongs 6 and 15 with the exception that its shank is provided with a series of openings 21 of any desirable shape. A tubular holding bar 22 is provided for co-act-ion with the penetrating bar 20 and is in all respects like the bars 9 and 16 except that its lug,

. inserted into its bar or removed therefromwhich is designated at 23, is tapered or pointed and is somewhat resilient. This lug 23 flexes or bends to such extent as is necessary to permit the penetrating prong to be and yet in the desired adjustment this lug 23 engages in one of the openings 21 tohold the penetrating prong in-the bar 22.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 8 the penetrating prong 6 is employed and is identical with that shown in Figure 4. In the form of the invention shown in Figure 8, however, a different form of tubular holding bar is provided and is designated at 25. The tubular holding bar 25 is identical with the tubular holding bar 9 except that it has no lug formed with its underside but has a pair oflugs 26 struck inwardly from its side with the shoulders 8. The lugs 26 are sufficiently resilient to enable them to flex as may be necessary to permit assembly vand disassembly of the prong and bar by the operator and yet hold the prong and bar in its desired adjustment. v

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 9 a penetrating prong is designated at- 30 and consists of a piece of wire integrally formed with a suitable base 31 which may be a laterally bent end port-ion of the wire. The prong 30 is provided with one or more notches 31 which are selectively co-operable with lugs 32 struck in from a tubular looking bar 33 of cylindrical form. The tubular locking bar 33 has a slot 3A in its under portion extending from one end thereof to apwalls and engageable from and co-operable with an inwardly struck lug 37 provided on a tubular locking bar 38 as shown in Fig. 11. In certain angular adjustments the lug 36 passes the lug 37 ot' the holding bar 38 but the holding bar 38 may be adjusted angularly to cause positive interlocking of the lugs 36 and 37.

As shown in Fig. 12 a tubular locking bar 50 may be provided and may have a slot 51 extending centrally of one of its flat walls and enlarged, as at 52, at its inner end and may also have a slot 53 in a portion of the tubular locking bar that connects the flat walls thereof. In this form of the invention a penetrating prong 54: has its end bent at right angles, as indicated at 55, and when the prong and locking bar are assembled, the flat body of the prong is passed through the slot 51 edge foremost and at this time the bent portion 55 of the prong is accommodated in the slot 53. When the prong 54 reaches the enlarged portion 52 of the-slot 51 it is rotated to bring the laterally bent end portion 55 into the interior of the looking bar. This also so rotates the flat body of .the prong that its broad face is presented to the slot 51 whereby it cannot be removed unless the locking bar is rotated to present the edge of the body of the prong to its slot 51. I

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 13 a locking bar 60 is provided and has a slot 61 enlarged at its inner end, as at 62. This form of locking bar is adapted to co-operate wit-h a string 63 on which the papers or lodgers of the book are carried. At least of the enlargement 62 is to permit some portions of the knot to engage with the edges thereof so as to tend to prevent accidental displacement of the string through the slot 61. The laterally extending portion of the knot 64 thus may be termed a lug on the tie member 63 for engaging with the slotted holding bar. I

I claim: 1

1. A fastening device comprising a penetrating prong and a co-operable tubular holding bar, said penetrating prong and said holding bar having positively engageable locking means including a lug on the holding bar.

2. A fastening device comprising a penetrating prong and a co-operable tubular holding bar, said penetrating prong and said holding her having positively engageable locking means including a lug on the holding bar, said penetrating prong having means positively engageable with the lug.

3. A fastening device comprising a penetrating prong and a cooperating tubular holding bar, said prong and said holding bar.

having co-engageable locking means including a lug on the holding bar;

4. A fastening device comprising a tie member adapted to extend through a series of leaves, a slotted holding ,barengageable with an end portion of said tie member, one of said co-engageable members having a lug thereon.

- GEORGE H. Ennis. 

